Budget-friendly extras for old B-R building

Even with an expanded scope of repairs to be made at the old Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School, officials say they will still come in under their $6 million budget.

Lauren DeFilippo

Even with an expanded scope of repairs to be made at the old Bridgewater-Raynham Regional High School, officials say they will still come in under their $6 million budget.

The school committee voted unanimously to approve recommendations of the Bridgewater School Building Committee that called for the installation of new heat and smoke detectors in the building, and to purchase and install new bleachers in the gymnasium.

Though both improvements would up the building’s safety and value, neither was called for in the original specifications for the repairs, drawn up by the state School Building Authority, Ken Mahtesian, chairman of the Bridgewater School Building Committee, said.

The original scope of work focused on increasing the building’s energy efficiency and asbestos abatement, Mahtesian said.

“Safety is paramount to our students,” School Committee Chairman Gordon Luciano said. “I would think that is your charge,” he said of the building committee’s objective.

The town of Bridgewater approved the allocation of $6 million for the repair of the now decommissioned regional high school three years ago. The expenditure comes with a 67.5 percent reimbursement rate from the SBA.

However, that reimbursement is contingent upon the very limited scope of the repairs outlined by the SBA, Mahtesian told the committee.

“(We’d like to) do it under this umbrella, rather than tax your operating budget,” Mahtesian told the committee. “(It’s) wise spending of dollars (that) have been approved already. ”

Later on, Mahtesian said that the committee expects to see a $2 return in value for every $1 it spends.

“It can be done, (and it) can be done right,” he said.

Mahtesian said Bridgewater Fire Chief George Rogers Jr. supported the plan to install the new heat and smoke detectors, and would write a letter to the SBA about the added safety benefits for the students and staff that would occupy the building in one year’s time.

With demolition at the building complete, Mahtesian said that it is more cost-effective to install the wiring necessary to support the new detectors now, while much of the ceiling has been removed.

Mahtesian, and Project Manager Rich Pomroy estimated the cost for the work would be approximately $190,000 if it is done now.

If the district were to wait until after repairs to the building are complete, the cost to go back and re-wire the building could triple, he said.

Pomroy called the expenditure a sizeable one, but also reasonable, considering the size of the building.

Mahtesian and Pomroy also recommended that the bleachers in the gym be replaced. They are over 40 years old, Mathesian said.

“They’re not unsafe, they’re old,” Pomroy said.

And, while the bleachers are not unsafe, they are made of wood and steel and need to be manually operated. They are also not accessible to individuals with disabilities, he said.

“They don’t meet today’s codes,” Mahtesian said, noting that Bridgewater Building Inspector David Moore will not even inspect the bleachers. “If we wanted to bring the entire building up to today’s code, (it would) easily exceed that ($6 million.).”

In the last few years, the district has had to contract with an outside, third-party company to inspect the bleachers and certify them safe for use. If the district does not replace the bleachers, they run the risk of losing that vendor in the future, Mahtesian said.

“They would have to retool the shop to make parts that don’t exist anymore,” Superintendent of Schools George Guasconi said. “It’s cost-prohibitive.”